Plasticized synthetic rubber composition



Po.tenl:'e d Dec.26, 1939 I I 'LASTIOIZED SYNTHETIC RUBBER COMI'O SITION Peter J. Wielevich, Elizabeth, N. 1.; now by judicial change of name -to Peter J. Gaylor, assignor to Standard Oil Development Commany. a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 18, 1936,

Serial No. 116,486

Claims. (01. 260-4) This invention relates to improved plasticized organic halide as catalyst. The temperature may synthetic rubber compositions and methods of be between the approximate limits of 5C. and preparing same. or 20 C. or even iower, depending upon In the compounding of synthetic rubber it is the particular catalyst used. As catalyst, boron common practice to incorporate with the rubber fluoride has been found particularly satisfactory. 5 a small amount of a plasticizer or. softener to Also, boron fluoride mixed with hydrogen fluormcrease the pliabiliay, durability and tack of the ide may be used as well as phosphorus trifluoride rubber composition as well as to facilitate the or pentafluoride and even aluminum chloride, compounding both by. aiding the dispersion of preferably statu nascendi as obtained when solids and by lubricating the mix, whereby less aluminum is acted on by hydrogen chloride. In 10 power is consumed in the mixing. Many types of the case of aluminum chloride, 3 to 5% of the softellels have b used in the P r art Such catalyst may be used whereas-in the case of the as vegetable, animal, and mineral oils, greases, previously mentioned catalyst, 1% or so may be asphaltic fiuxes, fatty acids, rosin, cumar resins, m i t ,p ches and waxes. suitable volatile or non-volatile diluent such T pr s nt t n inv primarily the as pentane or a commercial naphtha, or a light preparation of a new and mproved type of sofor heavy 11 which may later serve as additional tener as will be described more fully hereinafter. oftener when m t d into the rubber inay T syPtheti? rubber stock which may be P195 be used.- Inasmuch as such polymerizations are m tlclzed Wlth 171.115 new Softening agent may usually exothermic, it is generally desirable to prise any of the rubber substitutes with or withprovide 55 5 means of cooling the reaction out subsequent curing Such s polyethylene l chamber either externally or internally. The tide, polymerized vinyl chloride or acetate or synmolecular weight my be readily controlled 5 thetic rubbers prepared by polymerization of synthetic diolefins such as butadiene, isoprene, or fig and d-uratlog of the polymeflza 25 chlorprene, etc. In commercial practice a certain a particular, example of a f r ed method amount of reclaim rubber is often mixed with the fresh crude rubber and other ingredients are freof preparing such polymer isobutylene is polyquently added such as fillers, reinforcers, vul-' canizing agents, accelerators, anti-oxidants, etc. in addition to the softeners as already men tioned.

According to the present invention a novel type of softener is prepared which preferably is a more bubbling boron fluoride gas through a solution of s isobutylene dissolved in propane. A polymer of about 4,000 to 6,000 molecular weight may be prepared in this manner and the volatile solvent is removed by distillation, after which any cataor less plastic and elastic eliphatic hydrocarbon lyst remaining dissolved or suspended in the 85 compound having a high molecular weight such liquid is removed by blowing with steam or by as between the approximate limits of 800 to 5,000 washing and kneading with water or dilute or 10,000 or even 15,000, 100,000, 200,000 or m caustic soda, leaving the colorless plastic polymer (as determined by the viscosity method described. residue. Polymers of lower or higher molecular by H. Staudinger in his Die Hochmolekularen weight are Prepared by Varying the Purity of the organi h W rbind Berlin 932 verlag isobutylene and the temperature of polymerizavon Julius Springer, page '56), which is substantlontially greater than that of paraflin wax generally Plasticizels P p according to e ve considered to be between aboutv 250 and 400. flescribed mthod have a high Viscosity index, I 5 These compounds preferably e linear i. e. they show a relativel little change in.vis- 5 chemical structure which may be represented, by coslty with temperature. This property is i h y an, almost completely saturated extremely long' desirable when the softener is to be compounded chain of carbon atoms with alkyl' groups such as I r ain yp s of r r goods Where it is methyl, etc. attached as side chains onto either sirable' to have relatively co Properties 60 all of the carbon atoms in the chain or else just p ilityar'id elasticity over a fairly W range one or certain ones such as every second or third in temperature. Hydrogenated rubber may also carbon atom. Polymers of this general structure be used as a softener, although it is not quite as may be advantageously prepared by polymerizing satisfactory as polyisobutylene. It is of course iso-oleflnes (isobutylene, isoamylene,etc.) at low understood that-mixtures of the above described 2 temperature in the pr sence of avolatilizable inji novel softeners may be used, or one or more of merized at a temperature of about 10 C. by

them may be used in conjunction with known softeners such as those mentioned previously.

The amount of this new polymerized hydrocarbon softener to be used in making compounded rubber compositions may vary overa wide range such as from 0.1 to or even considerably more in case it is desired more to use rubber as a stabilizing or body-giving agent for the plastic hydrocarbon polymer. I :However, when used simply as a softener or plasticizer in ordinary rubber.

compounding, approximately 0.1% to 1% or 5% or possibly 10%, based on the contentof rubber plus plasticizer in the mix, is preferred.

In order to have all of the ingredientsproperly mixed or blended together, several different methods may be used, first of which is mixing on the usual rubber mill or Banbury mixer which comprises essentially a series of still rolls set fairly close together so that they effect a com-- bined grinding and kneading action on the plastic rubber mass being mixed. Another method of mixing is to dissolve both the synthetic rubber and the polymerized hydrocarbon softener separately in a suitable volatile solvent such as naphtha and then to mix these two solutions, continuing the agitation while evaporating off the solvent. If the mixing is not continued a separation of the materials into two layers may occur.

' If this productis to be cured the usual curing agents and accelerators as well as other materials such as fillers, anti-oxidants, etc. may'be admixed with the rubber and softener before evaporation of the solvent and then the curing effected after the solvent has been removed. I

In the manufacture of dipped goods, these course, be added to the dipping solution or may be incorporated in the synthetic rubber before .it is dissolved in the solvent to provide a cement.

Finshed goods dipped. from these cements may be cured or vulcanized by any of the common methods known to theart.

The plastic hydrocarbon polymer may be incorporated any time before vulcanization into batches which are to be subjected to that treatment. In making so-called hard synthetic rubber, a small amount of plastic polymer may be used to give the finished product greater flexibility and toughness. The polymer may also be incorporated into rubber-like products or derivatives such as the recently developed materials made by treatment of rubber with halogen compounds such as boron fluoride, fluoboric acid,

chlorostannic acid, etc. The latter materials may.

be designated as haloformed rubber. 12

Use of such plasticizing polymers may also be made in the manufacture of synthetic rubber articles from a-synthetic latex. In this case, a suspension or emulsion of the polymer, such as isobutylene polymer, may be made .and employed separately, or in conjunction with, or admixed with the latex emulsion. In this case the resulting, mixture may be used with any of the common methods of synthetic rubber deposition, such as electrolytic deposition, or the use of of solution by means of alcohol.

chemical coagulating agents for the production of finished goods.

In the preparation of rubberized fabrics, the

synthetic rubber impregnated cloth may be coated with a layer of these plasticizing polymers, and vice versa, i. e. the fabric may be coated first with these polymers, as by dipping the goods in a solution thereof, and following by a dip with rubber. Another outside layer of plasticizing polymer may also be added on the synthetic rubber coating. Also, these plasticizing polymers and/or synthetic rubber, or mixtures of the'two, may be calendered or frictioned on to textile fabrics with any of the methods well known to the art.

Plasticized synthetic rubber compositions prepared according to the present invention not only have the usual properties imparted to such compositionsby ordinary softeners but they have the additional advantages that owing to their particularly inert nature they also serve to a certain extent as anti-oxidants and help to prevent suncracking of the compounded goods.- Such plasticized synthetic rubber compositions may be used for a wide variety of purposes as is well known in the art, but are especially suitable for use in manufacturing soft moulded mechanicals, dipped goods and coated fabrics.

Although not intended the invention to be limited thereby, the following specific examples are given to illustrate commercial applications of the invention:

Example 1 50' parts of polyisobutylene of about 80,000 average molecular weight are dissolved in carbon tetrachloride with 50 parts of Pliolitef (a haloformed rubber prepared by the reaction of rubber with chlorstannic acid) and precipitated out The 'mixture is molded and found to give a hard, tough, flexible and non-tacky product highly suitable for insula-' .tion,,..etc.

Example 2 SU -parts of polyisobutylene of about 80,000 average molecular weight are milledwith 10 parts of fPliolite, and pressed into a sheet with a hydraulic. press. A non-tacky, tough, translucent plastic is obtained butylene.

Other materials such as rubber, waxes, resins,

soaps, organic acids, oxidation inhibitors, pigments, vulcanizing agents, plasticizing agents, 'fillers, and the like may be added to the compositions herein described.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my which is harder than polyisoearlier application Serial No. 717,575 filed on March 27, 1934. V It is not intended that the invention be limited.

1. A composition comprising haloformed rub ber produced by reacting rubber with a halogen compound, followed by hydrolysis to split off and remove the halide reagent, and a linear type substantially saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon polymer having. an iodine number-according to the Hanus method of not over about 10 in a substantially purified form and an average molecular- .weightof above 800 as determined by' the viscosity method.

2. A composition according to claim 1 in which the amount of aliphatic hydrocarbon polymer is from 0.1 to 50%.-

3. A composition according to claim 1 in which the amount of aliphatic hydrocarbon polymer is over 50%.

4. A composition according to claim 1 in which I polyisobutylene.

the saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon polymer is a polymerized iso-oleflne.

5. A composition according to claim 1 in which the saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon polymer is PETER J. WlEZEVICH. 

